LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Britain will create a new category of visa to allow certain fast-growing businesses to hire high-skilled migrants with fewer checks than under current procedures, finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday.
“This new fast-track scale up stream will make it easier for fintech firms to recruit innovators and job creators, who will help them grow,” Sunak said.
Sunak plans to announce more at his annual budget on March 3, and further details will come in July ahead of the programme’s implementation from March 2022.
Under existing rules, British businesses requesting work visas need to register for a licence to act as immigration sponsors or get third-party endorsements, which can be cumbersome for smaller firms. (Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William James)
30th October 2026
US President Donald Trump has highlighted billions of dollars in proposed factories, energy projects and job creation as evidence that his economic policies are delivering results, but s...
30th October 2026
Patrick Stewart, the classically trained British actor who brought Shakespearean depth to the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, has died aged 86.
Stewart died in Los Angeles on Wednesda...
30th October 2026
Morning Briefing
Malta’s economy shows mixed signals as property market slows
Malta’s economy is showing mixed signs, with strong tourism spending and consumer confidence contrasti...
29th October 2026
Updated 1140
Malta Marks 105 Years of Parliamentary History with Commemorative Plaque: Malta’s Parliament has commemorated 105 years of parliamentary history with the unveiling of a p...
25th June 2026
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
30th October 2026
Malta will host a high-level gathering of European healthcare leaders on 26 November, as the inaugural HekaTech Health 2026 conference brings together policymakers, regulators, industry ...
29th October 2026
GO plc has become an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect Partner, making it the only Maltese entity confirmed to hold the designation and giving local businesses a private, resilien...
11th October 2026
What began last year as a blood donation initiative involving six companies is expanding into a broader corporate effort, with three additional companies joining this...
10th October 2026
Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving up the boardroom agenda, raising an important question for non-executive directors: are boards equipped to oversee the transformation AI is brin...
30th October 2026
Malta will host a high-level gathering of European healthcare leaders on 26 November, as the inaugural HekaTech Health 2026 conference brings together policymakers, regulators, industry ...
29th October 2026
GO plc has become an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect Partner, making it the only Maltese entity confirmed to hold the designation and giving local businesses a private, resilien...
3rd September 2026
Fears of renewed escalation gripped the Middle East on Wednesday after the United States and Iran exchanged their biggest barrage since July, with Washington striking Iran's southern co...
4th August 2026
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
25th June 2026
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
15th October 2026
Ukraine said Thursday it struck a Russian oil refinery and damaged six Russian warplanes at an airfield, resuming attacks on Russian energy infrastructure after President Volodymyr Zelen...
14th October 2026
Ukrainian drones hit Russia's biggest data centre, owned by the country's largest bank and technology company, Sberbank, but did not disrupt its operations, a senior company executive ...